Why Building Your Own Website is a Terrible Idea

Building your own website is a great idea, isn’t it? Quick, easy and cheap, it’s the perfect solution for a savvy business owner willing to have a go…

…except of course, it isn’t!

The market is full of DIY website builders, and it can be tempting to try and create your own website using an online tool or template – but in the vast majority of cases, this won’t do your business any favours.

Just because you can build your own website, doesn’t mean you should! Here are our top 5 reasons why it’s better to leave it to the professionals.

1. Counting the cost

One of the biggest misconceptions about building your own site is that it is the cheapest, most cost-effective option.

‘Free’ website builders might seem cheap – but initial impressions can be misleading. For a start, your site could be littered with ugly pop-ups and advertising banners for other businesses – and when the free trial ends, you may find yourself paying an expensive monthly fee.

You’ll also need to check the small print and hidden costs. Start adding apps, plug-ins or additional (read useful) functionality, and the price is likely to creep up fast – and that’s before you factor in web hosting and domain registration into the package…

When total lifetime costs are factored in (along with the time you spent building the site in the first place) – it’s often cheaper (and definitely better value) to have your site built and designed professionally.

2. First impressions count massively

Your website is a direct reflection of your business – it’s your online shop front, and needs to look good.

Template sites always look like DIY jobs and for the majority of businesses, having a homemade website sends out the wrong message to potential customers.

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and if your site doesn’t look the part, it’s going to have a huge impact on the performance of your business online – as web visitors go elsewhere in search of a more professional outfit.

3. Performance and features

Your website is designed to help generate income for your business – and a self-built template site won’t perform in the same way as a professionally built and custom designed site in terms of:

• User experience

• Page load times

• SEO & online visibility

The result is reduced web traffic, lower conversion rates and ultimately, lower profits for you!

4. Square pegs and round holes

If you self-build your website, there will always be a compromise somewhere, whether that’s the design, the structure or the functionality – no template is designed with your business in mind.

By having a professionally designed and developed site that’s bespoke to you, you can have all the features and functionality your business needs to perform online.

You’ll benefit from a custom tool that’s been designed specifically to help your business achieve its commercial goals, rather than an off the peg solution designed to cater for everyone.

5. Web design is art!

There’s only so much you can do with a DIY website builder template. You are limited in terms of the layout, colours and design – not to mention your own experience and ability as a novice web designer.

The result is that your website will look just like hundreds or possibly thousands of other websites out there. When you’re trying to build a brand or help your business to stand out from the crowd in a competitive world, then a template site will do you no favours.

Quality web design comes with experience and talent – something you simply can’t replicate with an online tool. By having a website designed professionally, you’ll get a unique site that looks great, fits in with your visual identity and reflects your business perfectly. It’s a worthwhile investment!

6. Backup and support

The reality is that all websites have the potential to go wrong – and when they do having the right expert support from a dedicated technical support team will make things much easier!

With a self-build site, you simply won’t get the quality of backup and support you’ll get from a professional web design and development team. If you can’t fix problems yourself, you’ll either have to pay for outsourced tech support, spend hours trawling through video tutorials or sit on hold waiting for a call centre tech.

With a professional web design partner, you’ll have the security and peace of mind that comes from knowing help is only ever a phone call or email away.

Websites that work from it'seeze Ryedale

Don’t compromise with a shoddy, self-built site – get professional support from it'seeze Web Design Ryedale.

We’re here to help drive your business performance online with a fantastic, custom-designed website that you can edit yourself. You won’t find industry jargon or tech speak here – just beautiful websites designed to work in the modern world.

Set up your free, no obligation meeting with Rob Davies from it'seeze Ryedale today by calling 01653 690 982, 07957 374787 or by emailing rob.davies@itseeze.com